NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (WKBW) \u2014 For nearly 30 years, Christine DeLuca built a business around one thing: chocolate.<\/p>\n
What started as a small, home-based operation in Wilson, New York, became All That Chocolate, a specialty chocolate company serving retail, wholesale, and corporate clients across Western New York.<\/p>\n
Today, that same family business looks very different.<\/p>\n
All That Chocolate is now Western New York\u2019s first licensed woman-owned adult-use cannabis chocolate company, operating out of a state-licensed production facility in Niagara Falls and selling products in about 90 dispensaries across New York.<\/p>\n
“It’s cannabis meets chocolate, because I’m the chocolatier and Justin is the cannabis end of it,” Christine said. “So when he did come to me with that idea, the only thing I said was great, but we maintain the integrity of the chocolate. We don’t compromise the quality.”<\/p>\n
That idea came from her son, Justin DeLuca, who saw opportunity in New York’s recreational cannabis market.<\/p>\n
“It’s going to be a multi-billion dollar industry, and it’s still very small,” Justin added. “There’s only a few thousand licensees, and there’s only a few real chocolate makers. So it’s almost like the sky is the limit, but it’s also about getting in. It’s like a battle for shelf space right now.”<\/p>\n
WATCH: Niagara Falls chocolatier transforms family business for New York\u2019s growing adult-use market<\/p>\n
Niagara Falls chocolatier transforms family business for New York\u2019s growing adult-use market<\/p>\n
They received an adult-use cannabis license last September and have been in production for almost a year. Christine says their decades-long reputation in chocolate, combined with their woman-owned status, helped them stand out during competitive application processes.<\/p>\n
“It’s really been developing a new business,” she said. “It works out really well that we have history, we have a reputation, and I think all that helped us to get our license. Being woman-owned and having the experience, there was no one else that really had that same portfolio.” <\/p>\n
The company has transformed. Their lineup includes milk and dark chocolate bars, specialty chocolates dusted with Lion\u2019s Mane mushroom, and a high-dose mini bar designed for smaller consumption.<\/p>\n
With Valentine\u2019s Day approaching, Justin says chocolate remains a popular gift.<\/p>\n
“People love chocolate,” he said. “It’s chocolate season. Valentine’s Day is coming, so it goes well.” <\/p>\n
However, these products are strictly for adults 21 and older and can only be bought at licensed New York State dispensaries.<\/p>\n